Only When You're Lonely - J&L
by charlhooliganx
Summary: (EastEnders) Joey&Lauren- Lauren Branning has been living with her younger sister, brother and Mum away from Walford the past year. She finally decides it's time to show her face once again. But how will Joey react to her arrival? Will feelings spark once again? And will she finally stay for good? Multi-chapter fanfic.
1. Time

_Time's running out..._

**My new story for Joey & Lauren. Make sure you review and tell me what you think! Enjoy! x **

_**Only When You're Lonely – Joey & Lauren**_

Lauren Branning's life was far from clear of dramas. Just as you think the world is on your side, it snaps back at you like a punch in the face; nothing ever seemed to go right. Nobody could persuade her that it will get better, because it seemed that it never would. But then comes the time when your brightest day arrives when you least expect it to...

In the last year, although she never saw it coming, never spotted the signs, her spark of sunshine was nobody other than... her _cousin_? The boy who took her life from zero to hero. The boy who made her believe she could do it. The only one that she knew she could trust was no other than him, Joey Branning. He'd kept her calm, he'd kept her safe, but most importantly, he'd gave her love...

* * *

"Lauren, Lauren! Get up now! LAUREN!"

She groaned. That was all she could hear for the last half hour. Snuggling back into her duvet, she hid herself under her fort of cushions, trying to block out the sound.

"Lauren, we'll be late!" her Mum screeched in annoyance, barging into her bedroom and taking in its state. "Lauren, this room is an absolute pigsty! Come on, get up! Tidy up and pack the rest of your things and get dressed, have a shower whilst you're at it!" Lauren rolled onto her back before dragging her eyes open, throwing off the covers.

"Fine, I'm up!" she grumbled, kicking her Mum out of her bedroom before settling on getting ready for her big day ahead...

* * *

A good 45 minutes later, she padded into the kitchen, her hair tied up and her make-up perfected. Today was a special day for her. She was going back to Walford...

"Looks like you won then, here I am." Lauren mumbled, pulling out a chair and sitting down, greeted by a small smile from her Mum who placed a cup of coffee and plate of toast in front of her.

"I aim to win you over, darling," she started, Lauren raising her eyebrows in amusement in response. "Right, better go and make sure Oscar's brushed his teeth, make sure you eat up, yeah? We'll be setting off in under an hour and I want to make sure everything goes to plan."

"Yes, Ma'am." Lauren teased, watching her Mum get up from the table and leave the room, looking slightly flustered. She sighed, what would come of today exactly?...

* * *

_Over In Walford..._

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" Alice was squealing, her eyes flickering from the clock on the mantelpiece to the window every few seconds. Joey shuffled into the room, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. A confused expression washed over his face as he noticed his sister's behaviour.

"What?" he murmured, his voice slightly raspy in his exhaustion; he'd been working late most of the nights for the past week. He fell onto the sofa and grabbed hold of his sister's shoulders gently, "What's got you all giddy, eh?" A grin covered Alice's face before giving Joey a '_do you seriously not know?' _look.

"She's coming back! Oh my gosh, can't wait!" she squealed again, Joey narrowing his eyebrows, still none the wiser. Alice noticed this and gave him a sympathetic smile. "Lauren," she whispered quietly, trying to work out how he felt about this. His eyes widened and he silenced for a few minutes, before swallowing and realising he should say something.

"Cool," he managed to get out, his voice wobbling and only failing him a little. Alice wrapped an arm round his shoulder, pulling her brother closer to her in an effort to comfort him.

"She'll want to see you," she whispered again, concern and thoughts clear on Joey's face, also sensing anger and disappointment. He nodded once and closed his eyes, letting out a long breath he didn't know he was holding.

"I think I'll want to see her too," he acknowledged, before kissing his sister's cheek and jogging upstairs to his bedroom – he needed time to think...

* * *

"Great, more transport," Lauren muttered, Oscar squeezing her hand. She looked down at him and saw a large grin on his face, her suddenly finding herself smiling back at him. Ever since she'd moved away from Walford with Mum, Oscar and Abi her life had significantly brightened, being away from all the worries and dramas. But there was always a part of her that knew something was missing...

"Why do you always whinge about the trains?" Abi questioned, folding her arms and shivering slightly in the cold, earning a smirk from Mum.

"I just hate sitting still," Lauren replied, rolling her eyes. Her Mum smiled at her daughters as their train stopped at the station.

"Walford, here we come..." Lauren whispered, looking out the window, squeezing Oscar's hand in hers...

* * *

"Lauren, I missed you babe," Max laughed, throwing his arms around his eldest daughter as they entered the Vic after saying their hello's, before doing the same with Abi. Lauren smiled but it soon disappeared as she saw Kirsty's disgusting grin behind him.

"We all missed you, dear," Kirsty butted in, Lauren throwing her a disgusted look. "Drinks are on the house for this special occasion, how about it, eh?"

"Actually, I don't want a drink, Kirs-" she started, being shushed by her dad's wife once again. She received a reassuring grin from Alice, which she returned within a second.

"Nonsense! Come on, who's up for it?" she shouted eagerly, the rest of the family raising their glasses in approval.

* * *

Throughout the evening, Lauren had desperately been trying to see if Joey had snuck his way in. She made her way over to Alice who smiled at her in greeting, "Lo, good to have you back!"

"Thanks, Alice," she replied, returning the hug she'd engulfed her in. "Hey, err, do you know if Joey's coming?" she asked quietly, moving her aside from the nosey gossipers of the square. Alice shrugged before raising her eyebrows.

"He didn't even know you were coming today, Lo," she whispered, taking in the frown on her cousins forehead. "He'd like to talk to you though." she continued, putting a hand on her shoulder and smiling small.

* * *

The rest of the night had ran smoothly and a few of the family had left by now. Lauren was left in a booth with Alice, Whitney and Tyler, Lucy and her sister currently. She was about to excuse herself to the ladies, standing up, when she made out the behind of someone stood at the bar she immediately recognized. _Perfectly defined muscles, perfectly combed hair, and dayum, that arse; this could be no other than..._

_She tapped his shoulder, "Hello, Joey."_

* * *

**A/N: So, what did you guys think? I may update later but I'm not sure. Make sure you review and let me know what you think! Can't wait for next week's storylines on EE, sound pretty cute yet heartbreaking ;(**


	2. Back for good

_Back for good..._

_Only When You're Lonely – Joey & Lauren_

_She tapped his shoulder, "Hello, Joey."_

The moment she'd been waiting for, for over a year, was finally here. He turned round in a swift motion, his hazel eyes widening and staring into hers. It was an understatement to say he looked fucking_ hot_. The past year had definitely been worth the wait; his muscles, although covered in his jacket, were absolutely bulging. They'd gone silent for a few minutes now, Lauren deciding to avert her eyes from his defined chest. She smiled small at him, testing his reaction.

"Joe?" she asked softly, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. She certainly wasn't expecting the reply that she got; Joey shrugged her hand off immediately, turning round and bolting out of the pub, leaving Lauren's heart thumping away in her chest and a sense of rejection boiling over her. Exhaling a breath, she walked back to her friends table and sat back down next to Whitney who gave her a sympathetic smile and her hand a squeeze.

"Sorry, Lo," Alice whispered, clearly concerned of her brother's behaviour. "He was just surprised you're here, I guess. Give him some time to calm down and I'll get him to talk to you," Lauren smiled in thanks and took a sip of the lemonade she'd asked for. Alice looked away for a few seconds before letting out an awkward laugh, "You know, I think I better go and see where he is, he gets himself into far too many fights with walls," And with that she jogged out, following the path Joey took.

Tyler had left a while ago, having some business to attend to and Abi had left early, feeling tired from the whole experience.

"Just us then, eh girls?" Lauren teased, nudging Whitney's arm. Whitney rolled her eyes whilst Lucy managed a genuine grin. Despite the things that had happened, Lucy had made up with Lauren before she left, seeing no point to drag the evils on further.

"Guess it is, just like old times," Whitney laughed, and the rest of the night flowed on...

* * *

Lauren was making her way back into No.5, which they'd let the Branning clan use whenever they liked whilst they were gone, as her phone started ringing; smiling as she saw it was Alice. She pressed the 'Accept' key before placing her phone to her ear, "Alright, Al?" she started in a chatty tone.

"Yeah, Joey's back now and he's calm. I don't think it's a good time to talk to him though, maybe tomorrow though," Alice replied.

"Oh, right okay. Thanks for letting me know though, Al – see ya!" Lauren said, ending the call and opening the door. She quietly tiptoed into the living room, cautious of waking up her younger siblings.

"Darling, your back," her Mum called, startling her, popping up out of nowhere and flicking on a light switch, "Sorry, did I scare you?" she teased her, sitting down on the sofa and patting the seat next to her. Lauren shuffled towards her and sat down.

"Good to be back, ain't it?" Lauren started awkwardly, fiddling with her necklace. Her Mum smiled and nodded in agreement.

"It is," she answered, leaning forward and making sure Lauren looked at her in the eye, "Joey will come around, darling," Lauren furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"How'd you know about it?" she questioned, not really seeing how she could watch the scene unfold if she was at home. Her Mum shook her head slightly before looking back at her.

"I don't," her Mum pointed out, "But I saw him walking back in quite a mood earlier, figured it might have something to do with you." she continued, smiling at her daughter's amusement, "Why don't you go to bed, eh? It's been a long day; for everyone."...

* * *

Lauren awoke early the next morning, desperate to win Joey over. She'd perfected her make-up and purposely made her eyes slightly smoky, knowing Joey would usually practically pounce on her. Jogging downstairs, she threw on her leather jacket and ankle boots.

"Just gonna see Joey, Mum, alright?" Lauren shouted, before greeting her younger brother at the bottom of the stairs, "See you later, little man!" she smiled, waving as she stepped out the door and set off in direction of No.23. Her fear catching up on her, she pulled out her phone and texted Alice,

_Is now a good time? L x_

Seconds later, her phone beeped and she read Alice's reply.

_Well, he's just woken up (lazy boy!). Maybe in half hour's time or is that too late? A x _

_Haha. That's fine, see you then. L x_

She decided to use this time to warm up and walked over to the café...

* * *

A little later, she knocked on the door of No.23. She'd hate to admit it, but this was the most nervous she'd ever felt. The door opened and Alice smiled her warming smile... Lauren had always loved Alice the day she'd met her, she was someone who could significantly brighten your day simply by smiling and always knew the right thing to say, similar to Joey really. The mother of these kids honestly deserved a trophy.

"Lauren, come in," she greeted her cheerfully, before guiding her into the kitchen where Joey was sat. Lauren smiled slightly and Joey managed a crooked smile in return, whilst she took in his appearance; his lips were dry and swollen, his hair was wet and messy from his shower and his facial expression adorable. He was the image of perfection. Obviously noticing Lauren ogling her brother, "I'll see you later, bye Joey!" she said, kissing her brothers cheek gently and setting off.

She sat down at the table and looked at him.

"Hey, you," She whispered.

"Hey, yourself," he replied, his voice barely audible, "Sorry about last night," She shrugged and nodded at him.

"It's fine, you were a little shocked, can't blame you." She put simply, him nodding in reply.

"I missed you."

Her insides seemed to dance at this; it was so small yet so sweet. "I missed you too, Joe."

"So what happens now?" he asked, his eyes showing such pain and love. She slowly leaned forwards, taking his head in her hands, and placed a soft kiss to his lips, feeling him start to respond. They remained like this for a few seconds before he pulled away, shaking his head, "You can't come back whenever you like and think this will happen," he whispered, looking away from her. Lauren nodded again, knowing he was right.

"I know baby, but-"

"You can't just expect me to be a bit of fun if you're going back, you can't do that," he interrupted, letting out a deep sigh.

"Please, baby. Let me talk," she whispered, taking his hand in hers, "I only agreed to come back cause of you, I need you. I've always needed you,"

"You didn't need me before," he snapped, the last year finally boiling over him. He was so heartbroken, in so much pain and she didn't even care. "In fact, you've had a pretty perfect life without me, ain't you? You said you'd never leave me, you'd never back out; I agreed. I kept _my_ side of the deal, I didn't leave _you_, I didn't back out. But _you_, you did, and you don't even know how I feel about it!" he spat, forcing as much venom into his words as possible.

Lauren looked down, his words stinging her heart. Joey swallowed and shook his hand, grabbing her hand in his.

"Sorry, didn't mean that," he whispered, gently kissing her forehead and pulling her onto his lap...

* * *

A few minutes later, they were curled up on the sofa, Joey still acting rather distant. Lauren noticed this and snuggled under his shoulder, "Please forgive me,"

"I do," he mumbled, managing a small grin, "I do forgive you, because, well, I lo-love you."

"I love you more, baby," she smiled, crushing her lips onto his in a passionate kiss, fireworks exploding immediately...

* * *

They were both in a tangled mess in Joey's bed, the duvet just about covering their decency. Lauren's hand was splayed over Joey's chiselled chest, his heart beating ferociously behind it, mirroring Laurens.

"Can I ask you something, Joe?" she suddenly piped up, tracing over his muscles with the tips of her fingers.

"Sure, baby girl," he answers, a smile covering Lauren's face as he calls her that.

"_Do you think I can move in with you and Alice, for good?"_

**A/N: Yay, they've made up! What did you think, feel free to write a review. What would you like to happen next? **_** Cant wait for next weeks episodes still, by the looks of it it's Jouren week again;D.**  
_


	3. Betrayed

_Betrayed_

"_Do you think I can move in with you and Alice, for good?"_

Joey had been silent for a few seconds now and Lauren had begun to get worried; was it too soon? Would he even want her anywhere near him? She looked up, seeing a small smile creep onto his face. She let out a sigh of relief as he looked down at her.

His signature smirk covered his lips, before stuffing his face in her hair. "I'd love that, you sexy drama queen..." he murmured into her neck, shivers going up Lauren's spine as she felt his hot breath on her neck. "What about your Mum, though?" he questioned out of nowhere, obviously something that was starting to bother him.

Lauren shrugged, scraping her nails through the hair at the back of his neck. "Bet she can't wait to get rid of me," she replied, smiling at him reassuringly. "Besides, Abs will probably want space with Jay now she's back..." she continued, raising her eyebrows twice at the mention of Jay, feeling Joey laugh underneath her. She knew it sounded creepy, but it was one of the most comforting sounds she'd ever heard.

"Anyway, back to the subject of you moving in; I don't think I want the image of Jay and your sister... yeah, and I don't really think you do either," he smirked, trailing patterns up her stomach until reaching her breasts. Lauren nodded in agreement, giggling quietly before getting up and ending up sitting on his legs as she pulled her back. "Where are you going, beautiful?" he whined, grabbing her hands in his.

"Well, I don't know about you but I really don't think it would be amazing if your sister was to come back and see us like this. It would scar her for life," she answered, removing herself from his legs and pulling on his shirt and some of his clean boxers. She grinned as she caught Joey's eyes doing a full body sweep. "See something you like, babe?" she teased, strutting around his bedroom and sticking her bum out.

"Come here, you beautiful, beautiful woman..." he groaned, pulling her back onto the bed, earning a shriek from Lauren...

* * *

"Hey, Lauren! Is Joey back at work already?" Alice shouted through the house, hearing the TV in the living room. Lauren smiled, looking up from her drawing of Joey to the door.

"Yeah, it seems so. Alice, do you think I can talk to you about something?" she questioned, gathering her pencils and setting her drawing on the coffee table, turning the telly off. Alice walked into the living room, as usual a smile glued onto her face before throwing herself onto the sofa next to her and nodding."Well, I was talking to Joey and-"

"You want to move in?" Alice interrupted, giggling as Lauren's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I knew it! I knew it!" she squealed, engulfing her cousin in a hug. Lauren let out an awkward laugh, pushing her hair behind her ear and smiling slightly.

"So, err, can I?"she asked quietly, Alice giving her a look as if to say _Are you being fucking serious_?

"Of course you can, you muppet!" she laughed, pulling her back into a hug, Lauren letting out a sigh of relief; as much as she loved Alice, she knew that she was bound to have a scary side. They pulled out, Lauren nodding at her in thanks. "Joey wasn't lying was he? You're such a bloody drama queen..." she muttered, turning the telly on and planning on a fun night in with her favorite cousin...

* * *

A few hours later, Joey jogged up to No.23; it was an understatement to say he was shattered. He quickly unlocked the door, cautiously walking to the living room a little confused as none of the lights were on, this only made him feel even more exhausted. An adoring smile crossed his face, reaching his eyes as they filled with love and desire, as he saw his sister and girlfriend curled up on the sofa with hot chocolates, fast asleep; he thought they looked adorable.

He quietly shuffled over to them and slowly slipped down onto his knees, ever so gently leaning forwards and caressing Lauren's face in his hand as her delicious brown orbs fluttered open and stared at him sleepily, a smile curling at the corners of her lips. "Joe," she whispered, wrapping her hand over his, her eyes filling up with delight. "Alice said that I can stay!" she exclaimed, before Joey put a finger to her lips, trying not to wake up his sister. Lauren giggled, Joey's protective nature kicking in as pure usual.

He leant forwards, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to her lips, the kiss deepening within the minute. The passionate kiss was broken by Joey's phone going off, a pout covering Lauren's lips as Joey smirked his signature smirk, that adoring, gorgeous look in his eyes back. Reaching for his phone, he looked up at Lauren before managing a crooked smile. "It's my Mum," he stated simply, his fingers hovering over the Accept key.

Lauren sat up and leant on her elbows on the arm of the sofa, raising her eyebrows. "You better answer it then, eh?" she smiled at him reassuringly, as he put his phone to his ear and walked out of the room, closing the door gently behind him.

Alice was still fast asleep next to her, her hands cradling a cup of hot chocolate which had now gone cold. Lauren gently tapped her shoulder, as Alice's slightly darker shade of orbs popped open. "How long have I been asleep?" she questioned curiously, taking in her surroundings, obviously a little surprised she was on the sofa.

"Not sure, as long as me I'm guessing, Joey woke me up." Lauren answered, taking her hot chocolate from her hands and placing it on the coffee table.

Alice's eyebrows narrowed, before looking round. "Oh, he's back? Where is he?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. Lauren shrugged, before nodding her head towards the door.

"Your Mum was on the phone, I said he should talk to her," she replied, raising an eyebrow casually. "Why don't you see what's taking him so long? He's been ages,"

Alice smirked, before folding her arms, shivering slightly as her hot chocolate started to wear off. "Trust me, a long conversation between those two is normal, he's so protective over me and Mum." she explained, getting up and walking towards the door. "I'm gonna head off to bed now, I'll tell Joey to bring your stuff over, yeah?"

"No, Al, it's fine. He's shattered anyway, you should've seen him when he came in. I can do with his clothes just for tonight, we can get it in the morning," Lauren protested, starting to get up herself. Alice nodded, opening the door, Lauren hearing her mumble something to Joey before jogging upstairs. Joey then came in with a huge grin on his face.

Lauren smiled at him, wrapping her arms round his waist and looking up at his eyes. "Well, hello you! What's got you all cheerful, normally I'm stuck with Mr. Moody!" she teased, Joey groaning at her and throwing her over his shoulder, Lauren's shrieks and giggles piercing through the house...

* * *

After their little heated make out session, Joey practically fell onto his bed and was out cold to the world within seconds, giving Lauren to ogle him possessively; he was more than a God, a perfect human being, and he was all hers. It then dawned on her... _was he really all hers? Surely he'd have cheated on her whilst she was gone? _

_Lauren, listen to yourself - you have no faith in him, why would he even want you?_

She shook her head, trying to rid the thoughts as she snuggled into his naked chest, his arms curling around her, her hair dangling over his defined muscles; it felt so perfect here in his arms, it felt natural to be sleeping right where she was.

If someone was to tell her she was to fall in love with her cousin a couple years ago, she'd tell them that was bullshit. But here she was, the man she loved happened to be her cousin, and that was that. Obviously there were issues, when wasn't there in the Branning clan? They'd always push through it in the end though, they'd always stick together. What did she ever do to become so lucky?

After gathering her thoughts together, she fell into a deep, much-needed sleep, wrapped in his embrace...

* * *

The next morning, waking up early and figuring Joey needed rest, she went back to No.5. to collect some of her things, as well as getting to do her make-up. She then walked over to the café, walking up to the counter and greeting Lucy with a smile.

Lucy smiled back at her, scanning through her recent orders before looking up back at Lauren. "Alright, Lo? What can I get you?" she asked politely, tapping her fingers gently on the counter.

"A coffee, a cake and a chat, sound good?" Lauren replied, as Lucy nodded and told Marie to cover, them both walking up to a table with their coffees.

Lucy took a sip of her drink before releasing a sigh. "What was it you wanted to talk about, Lo?" she questioned, placing her cup back on the table in front of them. Lauren shrugged, and to be honest she didn't really know what she wanted to talk about; really, she wanted to get a few things cleared up. She took a deep breath before speaking.

"How was Joey, y'know, before I came back?" she started, staring down into her cup, almost dreading the answer. Lucy's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"What do you mean?" she quizzed, noticing her friend's hesitation around her. "Come on, Lo. What's on your mind?"

"I mean like, was he ever with anyone else? Did you see him with anyone else?"

A smug look washed over Lucy's face as Lauren's washed with confusion. What had happened? "I saw him, with me." she muttered under her breath, leaving Lauren's mouth agape.

"What?" she whispered, running her hand through her hair; surely she was lying? This is Lucy Beale, right?

"He... slept with me. He did. I'm so sorry, Lauren. I didn't even want him to, I tried to push him off straight away. I think it was ... rape." she babbled on, dishonesty flashing in her eyes, unfortunately not being noticed by Lauren. Her eyes suddenly bubbled with tears, getting up straight away, stopping as Lucy spoke. "This coffee's on the house though, yeah?" she insisted, a sickly sweet smile covering her lips...

* * *

"Hey, babe! What's up?" Joey's voice spoke...

SMACK!

The sound echoed through the house as Alice rushed into the kitchen, staring in horror at Lauren and her brother.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?" he shouted, touching his cheek; dammit did this woman have a slap.

"Lauren, what's wrong with you?" Alice squealed, immediately siding with her brother.

_"This... man... he slept with Lucy!"_

* * *

**A/N: Oops! What did you think? Did Joey really sleep with Lucy, or is she just being her bitchy, selfish self? **

**Bit pissed off the spoiler video for next Monday isn't Jouren, can't wait for next weeks episodes. **

**R&R.**


	4. Sorry

_"This... man... he slept with Lucy!"_

Alice glared at her cousin in anger then stared at her brother in shock; she simply didn't believe the words that left Lauren's mouth. "What, when? How do _you_ even know?" she questioned in confusion, folding her arms over her chest. Lauren watched as Joey's eyes widened, firing flames dancing in his eyes - to say he was angry was an understatement.

"Mm, yeah; _this_ one, knocks up a different one every night!" Lauren snapped in anger, sweeping her eyes over her boyfriend up and down in disgust. "Deny it, go on!" she continued to shout, Joey taking in a long, deep breath, his face reddening in fury, Lauren's choice of words only working him up even more this not going unnoticed by his sister. Alice gently put her hand on her cousin's shoulder and sighed, guiding her quickly into the living room and shutting the door to give Joey the chance to calm himself down.

She pulled her onto the sofa, leaning forward to look into Lauren's eyes, seeing them quickly filling with angered tears. "Why would you think that?" she whispered gently, squeezing her hand and giving her a sympathetic smile.

"Lucy," Lauren replied quietly, instantly feeling guilty as Alice rolled her eyes before staring at her in disgust.

"What, so you believed Joey's crazy ex? Are you out of your fucking mind?" she hissed, injecting as much venom into her words as possible. "Is your opinion of him really _that_ low?" she spat again, letting go of her cousin's hand and looking away from her. Tears spilled down from Lauren's brown orbs, as she furiously rubbed her eyes.

Lauren shook her head slowly and swallowed audibly. "I'm sorry," she whispered, nothing but guilt clear as the day in her eyes as she heard the door slam shut. Alice saw the look on her cousin's face and nodded gently.

"What did Lucy say?" Alice asked, wrapping an arm round Lauren's shoulders and pulled her into a side hug.

"She said that... Joey slept with her and she didn't want to, she said she thought it might have been rape..." she trailed off, a sob escaping her lips; why did she even believe her in the first place?

Alice sighed, nodding again before speaking. "Listen, Lo. I know Joey used to be a player but that changed when he met you. Whenever someone has come onto him he pushed them away, in hope that you were doing the same - he'd never betray you like that," she explained quietly. "You need to start trusting him, when will you see that? He cares so much for you, why would he want to hurt you?"

She needed to make things right.

* * *

A good few hours later, Lauren and her Mum were sitting at the dining room table, nursing hot cups of tea. Her Mum took a sip of her drink and sighed, giving a small smile to her daughter. "Why don't you go and talk to him, darling?" she asked, placing her cup down in front of her. Lauren looked up at her, shaking her head at the sympathetic look Mum had in her eyes; she didn't want her sympathy, she wanted her disappointment and shame.

"You know what? I will, thanks for everything, Mum," she suddenly piped up, shrugging on her leather jacket and heading out the door. She took a few seconds to scan the market when her dark orbs suddenly settled on the café, spotting Joey walking out, his hands shoved in his coat pockets.

She started to run over to him. "Joey!" she shouted, managing to grab his arm before he pulled away. Joey looked at her, swallowed and nodded. "What?" Lauren asked, confused, just as Joey took hold of her hand and lead her up to No.23, unlocking the door. He tugged her into the kitchen and forced her gently to sit down, Lauren's confusion growing more than ever. She sighed, looking down, an uncomfortable silence lapsing over the pair.

"I didn't sleep with her..." Joey whispered after a few seconds, Lauren looking up and opening her mouth to speak when Joey put a finger to her lips. "At least I don't think I did..." he murmured, his voice barely audible, Lauren's face washing with more confusion and a smidgen of anger.

"What do you mean?" she questioned, desperately trying to keep her tone calm for both of their sanity.

Joey took a deep breath, looking up at her, his fingers tapping nervously on the table. "One day, March, it was your birthday. I remembered, I couldn't stop thinking about you, I wouldn't talk to anyone, all my focus on you..." he explained quietly, before scratching the back of his neck, something he sometimes did when he was nervous.

Lauren noticed this, looking back up at him, her gaze locking into a stare. "Go on," she urged gently.

Joey swallowed before speaking again. "Sharon had given me the night off, so I wasn't working. Tyler, Whit, Lucy, Poppy, Fats; they all suggested we go to R&R, take my mind off things. I tried to protest but I came anyway, figuring we needed a night out," he continued, staring at the table, Lauren nodding again, signalling him to carry on. "Fast forward say a couple hours, it was fair I'd had a bit to drink, I was pretty drunk so Lucy suggested we went outside to get some air. I agreed,"

"What's this got to do with it?" Lauren interrupted, her eyebrows furrowed.

"It's all relevant, trust me, Lo," he whispered, before continuing. "So, the next thing I know is that I woke up, sprawled out on the Beale's sofa, a few shirt buttons undone. When Lucy came down, I asked her if we, well... y'know, and she said no. And that's it, I can't remember anything else..." he trailed off, exhaling a long breath.

She nodded, reaching forward and squeezing his hand. "Thank you for not lying to me," she whispered quietly, smiling small at him.

"I'd never lie to you, baby, why do you doubt me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as Lauren shrugged her shoulders; she didn't even know herself.

"I don't," she started, taking his position of staring at the table before looking back up at him. "I think," she added slowly, a little hesitation in her tone; how were they meant to trust each other now?

After a few more uncomfortable minutes of silence, Joey suddenly slid his chair out from under the table and shuffled over to Lauren, kneeling down and softly cupping her face. "Am I forgiven?" he questioned, stroking the sides of her cheeks. Joey already knew her answer as she leaned forward, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips, him responding immediately.

* * *

A couple hours later, Joey and Lauren were curled up in each others arms, Lauren's nails gently scraping through the short hairs at the back of his head, earning deep, muffled groans from time to time. Lauren smiled at this; she loved the way she could feel in control around him by the way he was affected by her.

Lauren's thoughts were broken as Joey's hot breath tickled her ear. "Sorry, baby." he whispered slowly, his hands resting on the sides of her waist, keeping her firmly in position. She looked up to see a tortured expression in his hazel orbs, reaching up to stroke her hands up and down the side of his face in an attempt to reassure him.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," she replied, putting her hand at the back of his head and crushing his lips onto hers. Their lips danced together in sync, before finally, gasping for breath, they pulled apart, taking a huge gulp of air. "I love you, Joey."

"I love you, Lauren; _my_ Lauren." he murmured quietly, engulfing her into another hug and resting his chin on the top of her head. "Things will get better, won't they baby?"

Lauren paused for a second before nodding, looking up at him. "Of course they will, Joey."

* * *

**R&Rx**

**A/N: Sorry for the longer wait, I've been writing other things and I found this chapter more difficult to write anyway. Make sure you tell me what you think, I can't promise you daily updates but I'll try my best! - Charlotte x **


	5. Deep down

**_Sorry for the longer wait but here it is! Working on my other story, you may get another chapter later ;)._**

_Deep Down...  
_

After Lauren's little uncalled-for assumption, both Joey and Lauren had been walking on eggshells and soon one of them was bound to crack. Lauren was full of shame, and guilt filled her every time the situation was brought up in her thoughts; she wasn't sure she could ever trust him. Meanwhile, Joey was devastated at Lauren's recent low opinion of him. Could they no longer trust each other?

Lauren knew she needed to get back at Lucy for ripping their relationship apart. She got it, she was jealous; but that didn't give her any excuse to play with their feelings, did it? She understood that she thought she'd stolen Joey off her, although the truth was she hadn't. Joey had clearly broken up with Lucy before their first drunken kiss, and Lucy seemed to think just because she left that she could shatter the pair and slowly drag them apart. They weren't going to let that happen.

But Lauren also knew she needed to make it up to Joey, for treating him like shit for the past few days. They hadn't confided in each other recently, they seemed to start a conversation then disappear into their own worlds. She wanted that to change. She wanted things back to how they were before.

Or else she didn't know what she would do.

* * *

So the next morning, Lauren decided the first thing she needed to do was get Joey's belief in her back. She wanted to do something good for him, she wanted something to work out for a change. As she got up, seeing that Joey had already got up and gone to work, she pulled on her leggins and pulled on one of his shirts and made her way downstairs, greeting Alice in the kitchen. "Lauren! Do you want a coffee?" she asked her cheerily, opening the cupboard halfway to get another cup.

"Thanks, Alice. Don't you have to babysit?" she questioned, pulling out a chair and sitting at the table.

Alice furrowed her eyebrows for a second before smirking and turning round to look at me. "Not till later, no. Why the sudden interest?" she quipped in, catching Lauren slightly off guard; her cousin wasn't so oblivious after all.

"I was thinking of doing something nice for Joey, y'know, to make up for the things I said and did to him," Lauren explained quickly, taking her cup from Alice's hands and sipping her drink, Alice sitting opposite her and raising an eyebrow in amusement; Lauren figured it was better not to lie to her cousin, she'd always work it out eventually.

"I would ask what you were thinking of doing but I think it's best if I don't know," she giggled, Lauren smirking and shaking her head; she was glad that her and Alice were still fine after this, she knew she would always be protective over her brother as he was with her. "Don't worry, Lo. Thanks for doing this. You really mean a great deal to my brother, he really missed you in the time you were gone." she added quietly, Lauren's guilt being tipped over her once again.

"I missed him too..." she whispered gently, seeing Alice smiling at her gratefully. "I'm sorry to you as well actually, I shouldn't have just left," she continued, looking away slightly as Alice reached over to squeeze her hand in reassurance.

"It's fine, you did what you had to do." Alice replied, finishing the last of her drink and getting up. "I'm going to the shops, anything you want me to get you?" she asked, shrugging on her coat and pulling on her boots.

Lauren looked up for a second, thinking through her reply before answering. "Could I come with you? I'd like to get some things separately, also I'd like to see a certain _somebody_ in the café..." she trailed off, both her and Alice giggling once again as she pulled on her leather jacket.

"Of course, now come on!" she smiled, linking her cousin's arm through hers and heading off out the door, slamming it shut behind them...

* * *

Meanwhile, Joey was busy stacking crates of booze as Sharon had been making him do for the past week. "All done, Sharon. Could I get off now though?" he questioned, putting his jacket on and waiting for her approval.

"Sure, babe. I'll see you tomorrow, not sure if I'll need you later unless we get busy," she shouted through the office, Joey passing her the keys and heading out, the cold air hitting him as he scanned the square, spotting his girlfriend and sister walking towards the café. He couldn't hide the smirk coming over him as the craziest of scenarios pictured in his thoughts, as he shook his head to clear his mind.

His slow pace then turned into a run, quickly making his way over following the path they took and stood in the doorway, watching the scenes unfold before his very eyes...

Lauren was walking up to the counter, Alice firmly by her side, as they stopped, narrowing their eyes at the beast before them. Lucy greeted them with a warm, yet forced smile as they approached her. "Lauren! Alice! What can I get you?"

"I think we need to get you something, Luce..." she sneered, Alice giggling at her side as she knew what was coming, it all clicking in Joey's head. He smirked; Lucy really was none the wiser.

She suddenly furrowed her eyebrows in confusion before giving them another forced smile. "What do you mean?" she questioned in curiosity, staggering back as her face was met by a harsh slap on the cheek. She turned round, her mouth agape before her hand came up to ease the sting on her cheek. Fury rose inside her. "What the hell, Lauren?" she screeched, gaining the whole café's attention.

"How dare you! How fucking dare you!" Alice screamed unexpectedly, folding her arms over her chest and glaring at Lucy, seeing pure red. Joey's arms curled around his girlfriends waist, pulling her to the side of the café and sitting her down, inspecting her bruised knuckles further. They both looked up, awaiting the rest of Alice's outburst.

"How dare _me_? Alice, she just slapped me!" Lucy muttered, receiving an eye roll from Alice.

"Yeah, and you'll get another one from me if you don't fucking listen!" Alice roared, Lauren looking at her cousin in surprise; who knew her usually timid, quiet cousin had such a dark side? Crazy. "You, you made my brother's life hell, not to mention Lauren's. And you think you didn't deserve that slap? Where the fuck have you been in the last few months?" she continued venomously, Lauren looking up to Joey to see him smirking slightly at his sister's behaviour.

Lucy winced at Alice's words, finally someone was knocking some sense into her, even if it was the last person you'd expect. "So, I expect you to apologize, not now, I don't want you to embarrass yourself even further but you better say sorry at the least. If not, just stay the fuck away from us, that's all you owe." she continued, flicking her hair over her shoulder and walking out the door, Joey and Lauren not far behind her.

"Fuck off, Lucy," Joey muttered, taking Lauren's hand in his and leading her outside, slightly surprised as both Lauren and Alice burst into laughter. "Well, I certainly wasn't expecting that." he smirked, wrapping his arms around the waist of his girlfriend.

"Yeah, Alice. Where did all that come from?" she giggled, a somewhat serious expression washing over Alice's face before she answered.

"I couldn't see her getting away with hurting you two again. You're my brother and you're my cousin, you both mean loads to me," she replied, shoving her hands into her pockets and laughing awkwardly. "Guess it all hit boiling point."

"Thank you, Alice. Means a lot," Lauren whispered, wrapping her arms round her cousin and pulling her into an engulfing hug.

Alice smiled, pulling away as she raised her eyebrows and linked her arm through her brothers. "Can you come with me? It's err, I need your opnion on something," she quickly explained, pulling her brother away into the park and grinning at Lauren, as she made her way back to the house.

Atleast they'd got one thing sorted.

* * *

Once she'd gotten home, she ran upstairs and sorted through her clothes, picking out a short black dress with some red, laced underwear she put on underneath, straightening her hair and adding some natural make-up with smokey eye make-up to finish the look. She studied her self in the mirror, running downstairs and grabbing her phone, ordering the usual of their takeaway before stifling a giggle and turning a few of the lights off. She sat on the bottom step and smiled as she watched the door slowly unlock.

Her face lit up as she saw Joey make an appearance, him looking around, obviously confused the lights were off. "Lo?" he called, as a light was switched on in the hall and his eyes widened...

* * *

**R&R.**

**A/N: So, will Joey enjoy his little 'surprise'? Looking forward to Lucy getting a slap this week, time for that bitch to get what she deserves. I'm alright with Lauren hitting breaking point as long as J&L get back together in the end. Tell me what you think!**


	6. Damn Those Assumptions

**sorry...**

Early the next morning, Lauren stretched her body out lazily and gazed to the side of her. She bit down on her lip to hold in a grin as she ogled Joey's naked chest, rising and falling in a peaceful, steady rhythm. Smiling softly to herself, she wrapped her arms around his waist and brought herself nearer to him, snuggling up to the familiar warmth that radiated from his body. She lay the side of her head against the pillow and sighed softly, watching him intently.

Feeling Joey's breathing starting to uneven a little and him slowly rolling onto his side to face her, she removed her arms from him and took some time to just watch him. He looked so carefree, like nothing was ever wrong. She was thrilled she had (hopefully) given him a night to remember after all he'd done to help her. She leaned forwards, pressing a tiny, lingering kiss to his lips, smirking as they twitched slightly at the contact. She knew she'd never be able to properly repay him for what he'd done, but she was still desperate to show him how much he honestly meant to her, even though he'd told her multiple times that she did not need to do anything. That wasn't convincing enough for Lauren, though. She knew how much she had hurt him during the time _she_ was hurting. She felt like she'd never forgive herself for that.

Gently, she traced her fingers over his jawline, taking in the perfection of his defined features. She suddenly backed off, spotting his eyelids beginning to flicker before they opened fully, squinting to adjust to the light illuminating through the window. Pressing another kiss to his lips, she felt him smiling against her and she pulled her head back, "Morning, baby," she whispered. She smiled as she felt Joey's fingers slowly brushing through her long, dark hair which was currently in a tangled mess, fanned out against the pillow. "I think we slept a little late," she added quietly, a shiver slicing down her spine as Joey wrapped her arms securely round her waist and stuffed his face into the crook of her neck, mumbling something inaudibly against her skin. She let out a small giggle and shifted herself a little closer to him, "What, baby?" she asked with another teasing grin.

"What time's it?" he asked her, bringing a hand up to rub the side of his face tiredly.

Lauren shrugged her shoulders merely, before rolling onto her back and reaching over to get her phone off the drawer besides her. She flinched slightly as her eyes adjusted to the bright light exploding from her phone screen. She dragged a hand through her hair and placed the phone back onto the side, propping herself up to look at him, "It's only ten," she told him, throwing her legs over the edge of the bed and standing up.

She smiled to herself as she felt his hands lightly grip the sides of her waist, "Where are you going?" he questioned, a small frown creasing his forehead as he watched her swiftly turn to face him. He couldn't help the grin that broke his usual serious exterior as his eyes sneakily traveled their way up and down her body, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Babe," he choked out, watching in amusement as she performed the signature Branning eye roll and turned away from him.

"Yes, Joey_._ I am fully aware that I am currently _completely_ naked," she muttered as she grabbed her plain, white towels which hung loosely off the end of the bed. "But I definitely want to make sure _you_ are fully aware that _you_ are _not_ joining me in the shower you fucking pervert," she continued with a smirk, flicking her hair over her shoulder before shuffling into the bathroom.

He exhaled a breath and took a hard swallow, reaching out to to pick up his own phone and unlock the screen. A few seconds later he heard the shower turn on, chewing gently on his bottom lip and pressing a few buttons until he slowly started to scroll down his contacts. He tapped his fingers rhythmically against the edge of the screen, his heart sinking in his chest as he came to the name that he'd never wished to have seen again. Finally bringing together all the courage he possessed, he selected her name and quickly put the phone to his ear, his breathing quickening slightly and his heartbeat beginning to pick up it's pace.

After the second ring, the soft voice echoed down the phone, making him jump a little in his surprise, "Joey-I- Well w-what, uh... what do you want?"

"Hi, Lucy," he replied, swallowing down the slightest bit of coldness edging further into his tone. "Are you alright?" he asked after a few moments hesitation, hearing her breathe heavily down the speaker. He took another hard swallow and thwacked off the covers that lay on his waist, forcing himself to get out of bed. He balanced the phone between his ear and shoulder blade, bending down slightly to pull on some boxers and a pair of darkly coloured jeans. "Luce, you still there?" he questioned, fastening up the buttons of his light blue, quarter-length sleeved shirt.

He heard her simply sigh in response as he sat down on the edge of the bed and put his head down, dropping his gaze towards the floor, "What do you mean?" she finally got out, his forehead wrinkling up in confusion. "What exactly do you want from me, Joey?" she continued, a tinge of guilt pulsing it's way through him at the desperate tone in her voice. The trouble was, he didn't even know the answer to that himself. He really didn't understand what he was even doing at the moment.

"I don't know," he finally concluded, raising his eyes to stare at the plain, wooden wardrobe stood in front of him. "I really don't know anymore," he muttered, unable to stop the words that were about to leave his lips. "It's just Lauren, I guess, Luce. It's all damn Lauren," he went on, not caring what the hell she thought of her at this point. "I don't understand what's happening right now. She just doesn't trust me and to be fucking honest she has complete right not to," he murmured more to himself, his jaw tensing slightly at the thought.

"Joey..." she tried to soothe him softly, only making more anger boil up inside of him.

"Cut the bullshit, Luce. This is all your fucking fault and you know it," he snapped, hoping his voice lived up to the grueling hatred he currently had towards her. "If it wasn't for you, Derek and everybody's fucking games around here then she wouldn't have fucking left in the first place and none of this would have bloody happened," he continued to rant, injecting as much venom into his words as he possibly could. He knew his words would have hurt her, to say the slightest, but he honestly could not care less. She deserved to feel the pain she had made him and Lauren feel for so long; too long, in fact.

He took a deep breath and licked his dry lips, bringing up a hand to scratch the back of his neck, something he often did when he was nervous or uncomfortable. "...Joe-"

"No," he cut her off abruptly, the guilt hitting him now more than ever. "I'm... I'm really sorry," he whispered almost inaudibly. What the hell was wrong with him?

"No, Joey. Please, _please_ just stop doing this," she said through a shaky breath, his words hitting her like a slap in the face. "Just tell her I'm sorry. I know it doesn't mean anything to either of you but know that I am fucking genuinely _sorry_, and you don't need to be." she mumbled. "I'll, uh, be getting off now. Bye, Joey," she finished, the call ending only a couple seconds later.

_If Joey could automatically lock himself away from the world, even if it was just for a few minutes, then he definitely would. _

_He was in some deep shit right now. _

_Some real, deep shit._

_Fuck._

* * *

**;).**


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